ELYRIA – The city`s Parks and Recreation Department, which suffered major cuts earlier this year due to an ongoing financial crisis, will have to absorb even more cuts, Mayor Bill Grace said Wednesday.

City officials are looking to cut another $500,000 from the city`s budget, and at least half will come from the Parks and Recreation Department with the rest being carved from capital expenditures throughout the city, Grace said.

For the parks department, that means the city likely will open only one swimming pool – most likely the one at East Park Recreation Center, which has the highest attendance – and will earmark specific activities for specific parks without duplicating programming across the city.

Grace said the plan, which is now being put together, likely will allow the department`s most popular programs to continue on a limited basis.

“Our mission with the parks department is to realign programming and fees in a way that the department funds itself,” he said. “Placing the soccer, volleyball, softball and basketball programs around the city, keeping the ice rink open at North Sports Complex and swimming at East Rec just seem like our best chance at covering expenses.”

Residents also will be paying more for activities this year.

While a fee schedule has not been completed, Grace said a few examples of the cost increases are a youth pool pass will rise from $35 last year to $60 this year. Daily admission at East Pool will be $3 compared to 2008`s admission cost of $2.

Also, last year parents who wanted their youngsters to learn to swim paid $35 for a session of lessons. This year, they`ll likely see that rise to $45 a session.

In addition to raising fees and only opening East Rec`s pool, the city will host a different sports program at each of the parks.

Soccer and softball will be played at West Park, while the senior adult program, basketball and open gym will be housed at South Park.

Grace said he knows the decision to again make cuts to the parks department won`t be popular with residents.

The city started the year with a budget deficit that required an initial cut of $2.3 million, which was done through across-the-board layoffs, pay reductions and service cuts. The Fire Department lost 10 firefighters and was forced to close another fire station. The Police Department saw its civilian work force depleted, and road patrol officers were forced to pick up the slack.

“Even with the cuts, we have already spent more than $1 million over what revenue is coming in, and the city is on tap to spend about $1.8 million more than what it will have by the end of the year,” Grace said. “Cash flow will be extremely tight, and the city could be down to a zero balance by the end of the month. Knowing that, this is the only way to keep from making further drastic cuts to the Police and Fire departments.”

Grace said depending on the economic climate in the area, there could be more cuts, although the city is seeking federal grants for police and fire in hopes of freeing up some money to avoid any additional layoffs.

He also said that the city likely will ask voters for a tax increase in November.

Lorain just renewed an income tax issue, which keeps that city`s rate at 2 percent. Sheffield Lake and other surrounding cities also operate with tax rates at 2 percent or higher. Grace said its time for Elyria to catch up as its 1.75 percent income tax rate is no longer enough to sustain city services.

“If we were there, we wouldn`t be in this position at all,” he said.

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

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